Brooklyn completely changed the recipe in 2006. Its now a Scottish-style ale. Brewmaster Garrett Oliver explained to us that: There are no spices at all. Good British floor malts and hops along with our yeast strain account for all the flavors. It has a Scottish-style cooler fermentation, which pushes malt to the forefront rather than fruitiness. It was brewed with Scottish Floor-malted Maris Otter, English crystal malts, Belgian Aromatic malt, American roasted malts, American oats and hopped with Willamette.

Reviews by Darkale:

What an odd beer this is. I purchased a six pack because I have fond memories of Brooklyn's Brown Ale, and I find myself coming back to this beer, though it's not entirely pleasant.

Spare head, after you've poured it, it degenerates to just a pale tan around the rim of the glass, and very little lacing. Body is a cheery cherry brown. Aroma is dubbel-like, faintly like raisins, slightly sweet and dusty. Malty in taste, not quite chewy, with a hint of cinnamon and hops. I would not want two back to back, but I find myself liking the faintly metallic aftertaste, the spice, the way that it slowly warms, and changes as it warms. I like a beer that challenges me, that won't be immediately appealing. This would be a great beer with turkey and other holiday flavors. A good introduction to the style.

More User Reviews:

On tap at the Buffalo Brewpub,poured a rich amber with a thin but well retained tan colred head,picked up some cherry and deep brown sugar notes in the nose with hints of cinnamon and clove.Quite drinkable for the abv% I have to say lighter dark fruit and brown sugar notes up front with that pear note that a few others have noted not overly sweet just about spot on.A highly quaffable winter ale has nice flavors and is easy going down,recommended.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. The bottle has a "Best Before" date of Apr. 2010 printed on it. The label has the abv listed at 6.1% and there is also a very brief description of the beer on the neck label.

Appearance: The body has good clarity and a deep reddish amber color. On top is a light off white which rises up about two fingers tall before slowly fading down to a thin cap. This thin covering hangs on well and leaves some slick lacing on the glass.

Smell: It has a fairly light nose with nice notes of bready, doughy and lightly toasted malt. Hop aroma also adds a light spicy note as well.

Taste/Palate: The flavor has a good sweet bready and ginger bread cookie like maltiness with light caramel notes. Hop flavor is modest and adds light leafy spicy bitterness to just give some balance to the finish. The palate has a solid medium feel with soft yet active carbonation.

Notes: This is a very solid example of the Scottish ale style and a great winter treat.

The yeast has certainly made its mark on this brew, bit of a butter bomb ... the core maltiness is secondary. If by chance I have this one again perhaps it would go better paired with a hearty stew or a sharp cheese to contrast.

The beer pours a reddish-amber color with an off-white head. The beer is very clear.

The aroma is toffee with some dark fruit and a little bit of peat character. The beer smells fairly sweet and very malty.

The flavor is very heavy on the toffee with some caramel and grassy notes mixed in. I don't get any smoke or peat character in the flavor. Very clean tasting. Easy to drink. Not too complex or exciting, but there is really nothing wrong with the beer.

On the nose, this doesn't appear to be anything special; that is, I can't pick up a distinct or significant bouquet (such as spice, sugar, etc.) that would lead me in any certain direction--it just smells the way I expect a standard ale to.

Luckily, in the mouth this proves to be a much different brew, and is full of unexpected and delightful flavors. The bottle's label notes that this is brewed from "heirloom Maris Otter malts," and the result is a malty concoction with definite fruit flavors, caramels, and just a touch of earthiness--like the incarnate scent of peat moss. Contrary to what might be perceived, this is not a "spiced beer," as no spices were added to the mixture. There are subtle hints of spices, but those come from the brewing process itself. There's also just a hint of yeast in the mix, and the palate is finished off with a well-balanced smattering of hops.

Overall, this is a wonderful winter brew, and despite its lack of added spices, would go down well on a cold December night, especially if that entails snuggling in front of the fireplace with a loved one.